Reclaiming apparatus



A g. 12, 947 I A. LA B RECQUE 2,425,377

' RECLAIMING APPARATUS Filed Dec. 6, 1944 20 I INVENTOR. T/uadorefl. Laflrayal BY M5 6, jdt

Patented Aug. 12, 1947 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE 'RE'CLAIMINGAPPARATUS Theodore A. La Brecque, Elmira, LN. Y., ass'ignor to TheHilliard Corporation, 'Elmira, N. Y., a corporation of New YorkApplication December 6, 194:4,2SerialsNo. 566,882

3 Claims.

1 This :invention relates .to fluid-treating apparatus an'd'in itsmore'specific aspects aims to provide a unit in the nature of areclaimer capable of use 'in numerous different connections .butaprimarilyadapted to be employed in conjunction'with the purificationand reclaiming of .oil' and similar liquids.

'Viewed .from certain aspects, it .is :an object of th invention toprovide an apparatuswhich will present certain functional and structuralimprovements over the apparatus disclosed in my p ior Patents 2,161,964,ofJune 13, 1939; 2,159,- 994, of May 30, 1939; and2,336,021, of December7 1943.

Among the advantages derived from the use of the present invention isthat of elevating the liquid or oil to a .point' where it may readily befed and flow through the reclaiming or similar apparatus; such elevatingor lifting being achieved without the use of any auxiliary pump orsimilar apparatus.

An additional object is that of furnishing a structure such that airentrained in the oil column rising to the reclaimer will be dissipatedso that it does not have to follow the entire cycle through thereclaiming apparatus with consequent impairment to efficiency of thelatter.

Still another object is that of furnishing an apparatus particularlyintended for use in connection with oils and similar liquids .and bymeans of which the reclaimed :or purified fluid will emerge from theunit at are latively lowtemperature. Accordingly, such fluid may be usedsubstantially immediately after it flows "from the reclaimer and withoutthe necessity of storing it in a re'ceptaclewherei-n its excess heat maybe dissipated. I

A ,further object achieved by the use of the present inventionis that ofwarming more efficiently the incoming fluid in its flow to thereclaiming apparatus proper. At the same time, it will be understoodfrom a review of the present teachings, that thisincrease inefiiciency'of the initial heating cycle is actually achieved withreduction of use of thepre-heater which may form a part of the unit.Accordingly, the expense of' operating the latter and the over-allexpense of having the app'aratusfunction"will be decreased.

Among still further objects of the invention are those of ac'hieveingany or all of the foregoing resultsby the use of structures which willbe :relatively simple and include few parts. Thus, manufacturing costswill'not be increased.

. '2 Also, maintenance costs will, if anything, be reduced.

With these and-other objects in mind, refer- .ence 'ishad to 'theattached sheet of drawings illustrating one practical embodiment, and inwhichthe figure-is .a partly-sectional side elevation ofwa reclaimingapparatus such a is generally disclosed in my priorrpatents and in whichapparatus there has been embodied structures by .means pf which :theforegoing results have been. achieved.

.As -:-afore brought out, the present invention has primarily to do withanapparatus for treating and reclaiming liquids such as oils. How-:even-i-t "will be appreciated that th ,present teachings might beadvantageously employed in conjunction with the treatment of otherliquids. Thus, except where otherwise indicated in the appended claims,the present drawings and following description areto be taken in anillustrative rather than in a I limiting sense.

As shown-in the present drawings, the numeral 5 indicates a supportingstructure of any desired configuration which may conveniently mount=an-:e1ectric motor 6. The latter drivesa vacuum pump 1 as well as'adisplacement-type pump 8. At least one of the pistons of the latter isadjustablyconnectedas at-9 tothe operating mechanism serving toreciprocate the same and so that the range :of the piston stroke maybevaried.

Preferably adjacent its upper end the apparatus mounts a suitablyenclosed filtering bed .or assembly of proper Ltype. .Part of theenclosure is conveniently in the form :of a removable lid r coverportion H. .Fluid .escaping from this compartment passes through thespace l2 .into T the vaporizing chamber I3. Preferably providing :thebase of the :latterfis' a member l4" presenting .a "tortuous passagethrough the convolutions of. which the 'oil flows under 'the influence:of gravity. ssuch oil :or other liquid, discharges from chamber throughpipe H. Vapors escaping from the chamber 13 conveniently flow through'a' tube or line l5 to a distillate-receiving tank 16.

This tank is connected by a line ll with the vacuumpump 7. Accordingly,not alone is the interior o'f the tank lli subjected to sub-atmospher-icpressure or vacuum but a similar condi tion will prevail within thevaporizing chamber "t3. Fluids which do'no't form distillates in thetank l6 but rather continue in th'eiform of vapors flowing through line,I?! are discharged through the vacuum pump landadischarge line 18. As

interposed in the latter line and this tank, as well as similar portionsof the apparatus, may ,be provided with drain-01f cocks 2D.

A supply line for the apparatus is furnished at 2| and convenientlyconnects with one cylinder of the pump 8 while a discharge line forpurified oil or other liquids is provided at 22 and convenientlyconnects to the second cylinder of the pump 8. Consequently, assumingthat the liquid within pipe 2| flows to a point adjacent this pump, itwill be forced by th latter (through a path hereinafter described) tothe filtering bedi.

below the cover H. In that portion .of .the apparatus solids entrainedin the liquid will ,be

removed therefrom. Within the vaporizing chamber |3 the oil orcorresponding liquid will be separated from liquids which serve to con-Jtaminate it. These liquids will be recovered. in

the distillate tank Hi, the tank l9, or elsewill be discharged in the,form of gases through the stack IS. 'The tanks 16 and I9 may beperiodically drained to recover the distilled liquids,

, Now with'a view to properly heating th liquid flowing through pipe 2|,it will be observed that a pipe 23 isconneoted to the intake cylinderor.

portion ofthe pump 8. This pipe connects with a heat exchanger. Thelatter maytake one of numerous different forms and has been shown in}only somewhat diagrammatic manner in the present figure. Functionally,the exchanger will, however, provide two compartments 24 and 25,

the-outer of which is preferably coupled to the compartment to the punip8 and serves to receive liquids which are discharged through the line22.

The functioning and regulation of the heater -28Tmay be'oontroll'ed byan adjustable thermostat structure indicated at 30, This will permit thetemperature" of the pre-heater and vaporizing chambenas well as the oilflowing through the several parts of the apparatus to be controlledwith'nicety. The complete cyclethrough the apparatus will hereinafter bereviewed. For a more detailed disclosureof structure and cooperation ofthe several parts generally heretofore described; reference. is had tothe afore mentioned patents issued inmy name.

Interposed between the entrance end of the pump, 8. and, the distillatetank i6 is a vacuumlift unit. This conveniently takes the form of a tankor receptacle .32, the base and upper end of whichare connected by lines33 and 34 with line 2|. Such connection should preferably be at apointrimmediately adjacent the piimp 8. A further line or pipe 35 mayextend from the receptacle 32 to the distillat tank l6 adjacent which itis connected by "the line |'5. Consequently, suction will be exertedthrough the latter line and a condition of vacuum will come into beingwithin the receptacle 32. This suction or vacuum condition may be.periodically interr pted by a float-controlled valve 36 governing theflow of fluid into HD6735.

As will be. understood by those conversant with the operation of anapparatusof'this type, the assembly is frequently disposed adjacent aconsuming element such as a Diesel or other typ of engine or in a vacuumpump and where its operation may be observed by the person havingcontrol of the consuming unit. To supply this reclaiming apparatus, itis frequently desirable to locate a main tank in, for example, abasement or considerably lower level than that of the reclaimingapparatus. This tank may receive the liquids (oil) discharged by one orany proper number of consuming units, The pump 8 being of the positivedisplacement type and connected to lift liquid to the filter bed l0, itfollows that the contaminated liquid supplied through line 2| should becaused to flow to a point immedi ately djace t 'or actually into thecylinder of the pump 8.

V This is achieved by the use of the present'vacuum lift. comprising thecasing 32 and its associated parts, in that, with the motor 6functioning, a condition of vacuum will exist within the tankl l6 and betransmitted from the latter throughline35 to the casing 32. Such avacuum condition will cause oil to be sucked up through line 2| and fiowthrough lines 33 and evenpossibly through line 34 to the receptacle 32.When a suificient body. of liquid has built up within the latter, thefloat controlled valve. 36 will be? closed to disconnect the body of thereceptacle from the 7 source of suction.

'Thereupon, liquid will befree to flow'through line 33 to the entranceendof thejpump8. 'The line 34 not alone serves to exhaust airentrainedwithin line 2 substantially directly to thevacuum pump l but also servesas an equalizingpr balancing line. Additionally, it will be understoodthat this. line 34yp'ermits oil or other liquid to flow from the tank-32inhthat in effect it serves to vent the same. :As soon as the degree ofsuction created approaches the point where it may 7 be inadequate tocause an uninterrupted how of liquid from the line 2| to the pump 8,liquid will flow to thatpump from the tank or receptacle 32. Thereupon,the float-controlled or other valve 36 will again connect the tank orreceptacle with the source of vacuum. This will" immediately cause thevalue of thesuction ,on line 2| to be increased, .again filling thereceptacle 32; the.

reclaiming apparatus will continue so1that the operating cycleof the,latter'will be in no wise interrupted i 1 ":1 r r Now, with liquidflowing fromthe-pump 8 to the heat exchangerandtespecially compartment24 thereof, it will be understood that, if th'efsec- 0nd compartment ,ofthi's exchanger is filled with 'highlyheated liquid; the incoming oilorits equivalentwill be warmed to a considerable degree.

Thus; the oil will flow with minimum sluggishness through linel26. Suchfurther preheatingof the oil as may be necessary to put it in propercon'di- 'tion for passage through the fllteringbed and subsequent partsof the reclairncr may ,beachi'e'ved' by'the use of the heater 28,1 IfAccordingly, the oil flows through-*theiiltering' bed andvaporizingchamber. as well as" the-line [4. By the latter, itisconductedto the second compartment 25 of the heat exchanger. As willwell be understood, this oil, in its flow through the tube 14, isusually at a very high temperature such that it should not be useddirectly in a consuming element such as a Diesel engine, vacuum pump, orsimilar piece of apparatus. As a consequence of its passage through theheat exchanger, the oil will be cooled to a condition such that it maybe safely employed immediately upon its discharge from the line 22. Asafore brought out, such discharge and flow to any desired spot isefiected, for example, by the second cylinder of the pump 8.

Thus, it is obvious that, among others, the several objects of theinvention as specifically afore noted are achieved. It will also beapparent that numerous changes 'in construction and rearrangements ofthe parts might be resorted to without departing from the spirit of theinvention as defined by the claims.

I claim:

1. A unitary oil reclaiming apparatus including in combinationliquid-filtering means, vaporizing means disposed below and connected tosaid filtering means to receive liquid therefrom, said vaporizing meanshaving a vapor outlet, heating means acting to heat said vaporizingmeans and to correspondingly raise the temperature of the liquidtherein, wh'ereby vapor emanating from said liquid may pass through saidoutlet, a liquidsupply line extending to said filtering means, aliquid-discharge line extending from said vaporizing means, a pump toreceive oil from said discharge line, a vacuum pump, adistillate-receiving tank connected thereto and to the outlet of saidvaporizing means, a pressure pump interposed in said liquid-supply line,and means for intermittently connecting said vacuum pump with saidsupply line at a point adjacent said pressure pump whereby to elevateliquid within said supply line.

2. A unitary oil reclaiming apparatus including in combinationliquid-filtering means, vaporizing means disposed below and connected tosaid filtering means to receive liquid therefrom, said vaporizing meanshaving a vapor outlet, heating means acting to heat said vaporizingmeans and to correspondingly raise the temperature of the liquidth'erein, whereby vapor emanating from said liquid may pass through saidoutlet, a liduid-supply line extending to said filtering means, aliquid-discharge line extending from said vaporizing means, a vacuumpump, a distillate-receiving tank connected thereto and to the outlet ofsaid vaporizing means, a pressure pump interposed in said fluid-supplyline, and means operative responsive to fluid flow through said supplyline and connected to such line at a point in advance of said pressurepump for connecting said supply line with said vacuum pump whereby toelevate liquid within said supply line.

3. In a reclaiming apparatus, in combination, a liquid treatingassembly, a vacuum pump connected thereto for decreasing pressure in atleast a portion of said assembly, a fluid conducting line extending tosaid assembly, a pressure pump interposed in said line for elevating andsupplying liquid to said assembly, a tank coupled to said line and saidvacuum pump and a float-controlled valve governing the flow through saidtank and whereby to intermittently connect said vacuum pump with saidline to bring liquid up to a level in said line such that said pressurepump will operate to force the liquid to said assembly.

THEODORE A. LA BRECQUE.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file ofthis patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,336,021 La Brecque (A) Dec. 7,1943 2,161,964 La Brecque (B) June 13, 1939 2,159,994 La Brecque (C) May30, 1939 2,345,697 Boyce Apr. 4, 1944 2,210,906 Ells Aug. 13, 19401,936,033 Sarvent Nov. 21, 1933 2,030,480 Strezynski Feb. 11, 19361,294,069 English Feb. 11, 1919 1,698,127 Enstrand Jan. 8, 19292,116,344 Dunmire May 3,1938 2,355,366 Conn Aug. 8, 1944 OTHERREFERENCES Oel U. Kohle II: 158 (Mar. 1935). (Copy in

